Aryna Sabalenka jokes about her coach Anton Dubrov being the "obvious" choice for WTA Coach of the Year Award ft. Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek's coaches

Aryna Sabalenka wants her coach Anton Dubrov to bag the WTA Coach of the Year honor this season, following her remarkable 2023 campaign.

The nominees for the 2023 WTA Awards were announced on Monday, November 20. Aryna Sabalenka’s coach Anton Dubrov received a nomination in the Coach of the Year category alongside the coaches of World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, World No. 3 Coco Gauff, World No. 4 Elena Rybakina, French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova and former World No. 3 Elina Svitolina.

Sabalenka was elated to see her coach receive recognition for his efforts and backed him to win the award. With the winners set to be chosen by the international tennis media, the World No. 2 took to social media to urge those in the driver’s seat to vote for Dubrov.

“Obviously @antoniodubrov,” she wrote on Instagram, jokingly adding an eye-roll emoji.

Sabalenka on Instagram

A former Belarusian tennis player, Anton Dubrov, who was Aryna Sabalenka’s longtime hitting partner, took on the role of her primary coach in 2020. After teaming up with the 28-year-old, Sabalenka reached a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 1 in February 2021, having clinched her second women’s doubles Grand Slam trophy at the 2021 Australian Open.

Dubrov played a pivotal role in Sabalenka’s success during the 2023 season as well. Under his aegis, the Belarusian hoisted her maiden Grand Slam singles trophy at the Australian Open. She made the final of the US Open, and reached the semifinals of the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships as well.

Sabalenka also added two other titles to her rich resume, at the Adelaide International 1 and the Madrid Open. The 25-year-old featured in two more finals during her campaign. doing so at the Indian Wells Open and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.

Thanks to her successful partnership with Dubrov, Aryna Sabalenka rose to the World No. 1 ranking in singles for the first time in her career after the 2023 US Open.

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Aryna Sabalenka earns Player of the Year nomination at the 2023 WTA Awards

Sabalenka won the 2023 Australian Open

Apart from her coach Dubrov, Aryna Sabalenka, too, has been shortlisted for the 2023 WTA Awards, in the Player of the Year category.

Iga Swiatek, who picked up six trophies this year, including the French Open and the WTA Finals, has earned a nomination as well. Coco Gauff, who won her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open and added three other titles to her growing cabinet, too, features on the list.

Other nominees for the prestigious category are two-time WTA 1000 champion Elena Rybakina, reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, and World No. 5 Jessica Pegula.